NDA Meets to Finalize Cabinet as Key Allies Seek Prominent Roles
Summary:
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) held its first meeting in the new Parliament House following its Lok Sabha election victory. The BJP-led coalition, having won 293 seats but falling short of a majority with 240 seats, depends on key allies to form the government. N. Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) [JDU] have emerged as influential partners.
The TDP, with 16 seats, is demanding five cabinet posts, including the parliamentary speaker, while the JDU, with 12 seats, seeks the railways and rural development ministries. The BJP is reluctant to allocate the four key ministries under the Cabinet Committee on Security to its allies and wants to retain control over critical infrastructure and welfare portfolios.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the NDA meeting, where he will be formally elected as the alliance leader. He plans to present his claim to form a new coalition government to President Droupadi Murmu. Modi’s swearing-in ceremony for his third term is scheduled for Sunday, with several South Asian leaders expected to attend.
New Delhi – The newly elected Members of Parliament (MPs) from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) convened today at the new Parliament House for the first time since their victory in the Lok Sabha elections. This meeting comes in the wake of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition securing 293 seats, falling short of an outright majority and thus relying on key allies to form the government.
The BJP, which had enjoyed a significant majority in the previous two terms, won 240 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha, necessitating the support of regional partners to reach the majority threshold of 272. The critical allies include N. Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) with 16 seats, Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) [JDU] with 12 seats, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena with 7 seats, and Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas (LJP-R) with 5 seats.
Key Allies Push for Cabinet Positions
Both Naidu and Kumar are leveraging their crucial support to secure significant positions in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s new cabinet. Sources reveal that the TDP is demanding five cabinet posts, including the prestigious role of parliamentary speaker. Concurrently, the JDU is seeking control over the railways and rural development ministries.
In anticipation of the NDA meeting, both Naidu and Kumar have held discussions with their party leaders to strategize their positions. These negotiations mark a return to pre-2014 political dynamics when coalition partners frequently bargained for influential roles within the government.
BJP’s Stance on Key Ministries
The BJP is reportedly reluctant to allocate any of the four key ministries under the Cabinet Committee on Security – defence, finance, home affairs, and external affairs – to its allies. Additionally, the party is keen to retain control over portfolios critical to its infrastructure and welfare agendas, such as road transport and highways.
PM Modi to Formalize Leadership
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will preside over today’s NDA meeting, where he is expected to be formally elected as the alliance leader. Following the meeting, PM Modi plans to present his claim to form a new coalition government to President Droupadi Murmu.
The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for Sunday evening, marking Modi’s third consecutive term as Prime Minister. The event will be a grand affair, with several South Asian leaders expected to attend. Confirmed attendees include Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Invitations have also been extended to Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, and Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth.
As the NDA gears up for its third term, the coming days will reveal how the coalition partners are accommodated within the new government framework, reflecting the intricate balance of power within the alliance.
